The end of empire and the problem of neocolonialism - Southeast Asia - Indonesia
6 important questions on The end of empire and the problem of neocolonialism - Southeast Asia - Indonesia
What economy did Indonesia create?
How was Indonesia ruled?
Why did Dutch efforts to reclaim control in Indonesia fail? What happened instead?
- Dutch efforts to reassert control over these profitable islands after 1945 were unsuccessful, not least because the Americans and the British had encouraged the formation of an anti-Japanese resistance movement during the war that was subsequently turned against the Dutch.
- Under the leadership of the charismatic Achmed Sukarno, Indonesia asserted its independence as a republic in August 1945.
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What political changes did Sukarno make?
- Sukarno became president of a majority Muslim state, and over the next 15 years political freedoms narrowed and parliamentary democracy faltered. In 1957 the elected national parliament was replaced by one appointed by Sukarno.
- Dutch-owned businesses were nationalized and Europeans (along with their investments) departed. Rapid inflation, food shortages, and general economic decline followed.
- Communist Party membership increased sharply during this period, as did Sukarno's recruitment of communists into his cabinet. In 1963 he declared himself president for life.
What side was Indonesia on in the Cold War?
- In the fall of 1965 a brutal military crackdown against suspected communists resulted in the rise to power of the authoritarian Suharto, who ruled the country as president from 1968 until 1998.
- The massive abuse of human rights that accompanied the rise to power of the military government received little notice in the West; what mattered at the time was that Indonesia was moving firmly into the Western camp during the height of the Cold War.
What did Suharto try to improve his economy? How did it work out?
- In an effort to improve the economy, the Suharto regime offered incentives for foreign investment, but charges of corruption emerged early and often.
- Although blessed with considerable mineral, oil, and natural gas reserves, Indonesia was unable to enter the ranks of the developed states.
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